For more than a decade, ServiceNow has stood uncontested at the summit of enterprise ITSM. Its name alone commands boardroom attention, and its “platform of platforms” mantra has become the blueprint for digital transformation at scale. But the landscape is shifting.
ServiceNow has become vastly more expensive than it once was—introducing mandatory 10% price uplifts on every renewal, and attaching the costly “Impact” support tier by default. But it’s not just the pricing that’s changed; the feel of the company has shifted too. When I first got involved with ServiceNow nearly two decades ago, it felt like the place to be—fast, innovative, and full of passionate people who genuinely cared about the product and their customers. There was an energy, almost an obsession, that made it exciting to be part of. Now, much of that original spark seems to have faded. Most of the early architects and visionaries have moved on, and with them, so has much of the passion. For many organisations, the platform has tipped from investment to burden. IT leaders are growing weary of escalating costs, complex upgrades, and a partner model that adds friction to every step.
In the shadows of this towering incumbent, a quieter, perhaps more thoughtful challenger has been gathering momentum: Halo ITSM.
Not with billion-dollar marketing campaigns (sorry Idris). But with something much more potent: an elegant, modern, and technically sophisticated alternative that’s earning serious consideration from those ready to rethink what enterprise ITSM should look like. What sets Halo apart is the genuine passion and care they have for the success of the customer on the platform. It’s not just about closing a licence deal and walking away—they stay close, go the extra mile, and ensure outcomes are delivered. That customer-first mindset has seen them win the trust of brands like Red Bull, Suzuki, Knight Frank, AO, and Wolseley, to name just a few.
I personally also love that they’re a proudly British brand, investing in UK talent through what is arguably one of the best graduate schemes in the world. The company’s ethos is palpable—young, energetic, passionate teams who believe in what they’re building and the customers they’re supporting.
At first glance, comparing ServiceNow to Halo might seem audacious. One is a $200 billion juggernaut; the other, a fast-growing private player out of Suffolk. But look deeper—especially at the platforms themselves—and the real conversation begins.
Where ServiceNow offers a blank canvas with infinite possibility, Halo delivers a framed masterpiece: intuitive, well-crafted, and ready to use. Built on a modern AWS-native architecture, Halo’s single codebase and isolated customer environments avoid the technical debt trap that often follows aggressive M&A-led roadmaps.
ServiceNow’s low-code platform demands Glide scripting expertise and developer-heavy teams. Halo, by contrast, is unapologetically no-code—empowering administrators, not coders, to shape workflows, portals, and automation. That difference matters. It’s the difference between control and dependency.
ServiceNow’s enterprise service management approach hinges on purchasing individual modules—HRSD, CSM, GRC—all designed for depth but at serious cost. Once purchased, rarely are these licences fully deployed. Why? Because the ServiceNow platform is massively complex and requires large-scale implementation projects—averaging around eight months—to roll out each module. These projects are often executed by external partners or contractors.
And don’t get me wrong—there are some great partners out there. I’ve personally been involved in many outstanding ServiceNow projects that delivered on time and on budget. But sadly, by my estimate, more than 70% of projects out there don’t meet that standard. Too often, implementations are rushed, misaligned, or poorly executed. And where’s the support from the vendor when things start to go off track? Nowhere to be found, you’re on your own left to pick up the pieces.
I’ve personally pleaded with ServiceNow on more than one occasion to get involved in projects we were implementing—to mark our homework, to guide the customer, to help steer things back on course when we went off track (yes, it happens to me too!). Not once have they accepted the call or stepped in. This goes back to the earlier point: not enough people left at ServiceNow either care past the licence sale, or know the platform well enough to advise. The passion that once defined the company has, sadly, faded. The result is a cycle of underutilised licences (this is an issue I see time and time again—if you’re a ServiceNow customer, honestly, how deployed are you?), delayed value, and spiralling costs.
To contrast, with Halo, every feature is unlocked from day one. Rolling out ITSM to HR, Facilities, or even Customer Service doesn’t require new licences, budget sign-offs, or protracted commercial negotiations. It just happens because the platform is designed to support the enterprise natively, without financial gatekeeping.
That simplicity is transformative. It allows organisations to experiment, iterate, and scale their service footprint at their own pace. There’s no need to “sell the business case” internally just to enable new workflows or user groups.
This model is what enabled AO to extend Halo to more than 30 teams, with no added licensing complexity. You don’t buy more to do more, you configure what you already own. No waiting for contract renewals, no scope creep, no sudden pricing shocks – just rapid, scalable service expansion that matches the pace of your business.
Where agility is the differentiator, this kind of licensing clarity becomes a strategic advantage. I can hear what you’re thinking – OK Phil, how do the platforms stack up against each other – so, here you have it, a non-biased view on how they compare:
| Feature / Category | ServiceNow ITSM | Halo ITSM |
| Architecture | Multi-instance PaaS designed for scalability and extensibility | Cloud-native SaaS on AWS with isolated tenant environments, optimised for simplicity and performance |
| Customisation | Low-code via App Engine with Glide scripting; extensive flexibility | No-code configuration with intuitive UI; designed for rapid business-led change |
| Upgrade Cycle | Biannual upgrades; complexity can increase with heavy customisation | Quarterly upgrades applied consistently across all tenants |
| Performance | Strong performance, may require optimisation for complex setups | Consistent performance by design, supported by modern cloud infrastructure |
| Capability | ServiceNow ITSM | Halo ITSM |
| Incident Management | Mature, ITIL-aligned | Mature, ITIL-aligned |
| Problem Management | Integrated root cause analysis and known error database | Visual tools for root cause analysis and proactive prevention |
| Change Management | Full CAB support, risk models, blackout windows | Configurable workflows including CAB and approvals |
| Service Request | Rich catalog builder with process automation | Full-featured catalog builder, quick to configure |
| Knowledge Management | Advanced knowledge workflows, permissions, lifecycle | Auto-generation from tickets, easy management and use |
| CMDB | Highly extensible, supports complex CI relationships | Integrated CMDB, simple to manage with practical linking |
| SLA Management | Advanced SLA/OLA configuration and breach tracking | SLA editor with visual controls and real-time reporting |
| Virtual Agent / Chatbot | Requires ITSM Pro(30% uplift from ITSM std) feature, requires configuration and setup | Included as standard, pre-configured for rapid deployment |
| AI Capabilities | Requires ITSM Pro+ (30% uplift from ITSM Pro) Extensive, powered by Now Assist and Moveworks acquisitions | Integrated AI features including clustering, summarisation, and sentiment analysis |
| Reporting / Dashboards | Robust but often requires partner-led setup | Drag-and-drop interface with ready-to-use dashboards |
Both ServiceNow and Halo ITSM are mature, enterprise-grade platforms, each with its own strengths. ServiceNow excels in deep customisability and enterprise-scale deployments. It’s a solid choice for organisations that have the time, budget, and in-house capability to handle complex, multi-phased implementations.
Halo ITSM, on the other hand, delivers a wide breadth of functionality, fast. It’s designed for organisations that value speed-to-value, operational simplicity, and reduced cost of ownership. It doesn’t try to be everything—it just focuses on doing the important things exceptionally well.
At dotslash, we’re proud to be Halo partners. But that doesn’t mean we’re here to sell you a solution that isn’t the right fit. We’re here to advise, share what we’ve learned, and help organisations make decisions that support their long-term goals.
Service Management is just one piece of the puzzle. The bigger conversation—and the one more organisations need to be having—is around how Service Operations and, ultimately, Autonomous Operations will reshape enterprise delivery models. The hard truth? There’s no single platform that holds the answer. And if someone tells you there is, they’re either missing the bigger picture, or trying to serve their own interests.
Achieving operational maturity requires a well-defined methodology, a clear strategy, and a comprehensive roadmap. In my experience, only a handful of organisations globally are even close to getting that right. But don’t worry—you’ll be hearing more from me on this very soon.
If you’re curious about Halo, want to see it in action, or have a few honest questions, please get in touch. We promise: no sales pitch, no pressure – just a straight-up conversation about whether it could be right for you.